Loading and disposition of muck in wide tunnels using rail haulage



J. D. RUSSELL LOADING AND DISPOSITION OF MUCK IN WIDE TUNNELS USING RAIL HAULAGE June 27, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 0G12. 3, 1957 AGI :NMI IMTMJ.

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om I .mm @E ATTORNEY June 27, 1961 J. D. RUSSELL LOADING AND DISPOSITION OF MUCK IN WIDE TUNNELS USING RAIL HAULAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 3, 1957 Aon Nm JOHN INVENTOR:

D. RUSSELL ATTORNEY .ON .0E

June 27, 1961 J. D. RUSSELL LOADING AND DISPOSITION OF MUCK IN WIDE TUNNELS USING RAIL HAULAGE Filed oct. 3, 195'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIGB.

FIGS.

INVENTOR JOHN D. RUSSELL .BY MW ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,990,167 LOADING AND DISPOSITION OF MUCK IN WIDE TUNNELS USING RAIL HAULAGE John D. Russell, Bradford Woods, Pa., assigner to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 3, 1957, Ser. No. 688,025 11 Claims. (Cl. 2625) This invention relates to tunneling apparatus and more particularly to an arrangement of drilling, loading and conveying means for advancing the tunnel and loading out the dislodged rock or muck.

In tunnel work, the working face is usually drilled by a battery of-rock drills mounted on a movable frame called a jumbo to provide a round of blast holes. The drill jumbo is then moved back for blasting of the face after which loading means is moved up for loading the loose muck out into mine cars which travel along trackway means laid on the tunnel oor. Moving the drill jumbo and muck loading means to and from the tunnel face and mine cars along the trackway means to spot loading positions and into `and from the mine should be so interrelated and arranged so as to minimize interference between the various devices and have ease of movement thereof to and from operative positions.

My improved tunneling means and system for the loading and disposition of muck in wide tunnels using rail haulage contemplates a double track system for load spotting the mine cars which has a switch connection to a single track for movement of loaded cars from the tunnel and empty cars to the double track load spotting system. It is a track system which is put to multiple use with inner parallel rails used for tracking the loading means to and from the tunnel face and supporting conveying means between the loading means head and the load spotting position for the mine cars. The parallel outer rails of the two tracks also provide a wide gauge track for movement of the wheeled drill jumbo to and from the tunnel face. There are sectional conveyors between the double tracks which are slidingly supported on the inner rails of the double tracks by outwardly extended thin shoe pad side extensions from conveyor frame elements over which mine car wheels may readily pass. In my ycopending application Serial No. 558,452, led January l1, 1956, now Patent No. 2,832,482, granted April 29, 1958, and in copending application Serial No. 585,083, tiled May l5, 1956, now Patent No. 2,910,- 191, granted October 27, 1959, owned by the assignee of the present invention there are disclosed rail sup- 'ported shoes or skids slidingly engaging rails which, however, extend inwardly instead of outwardly from conveyor frame elements as in the present invention.

It is therefore a major object of the present invention to provide improved drilling, loading and conveying means -for advancing the face of a tunnel and loading out the dislodged rock or muck.

Another object of this invention is to provide a parallel track system for empty car switching, spotting and loading to and from a single track for loaded car removal and empty car return.

Another object is to provide sectional conveyors between the double tracks which are supported on the inner rails of the double tracks by outwardly extended thin shoe pad side extensions from conveyor frame elements.

A further object is to provide conveyor support means with outwardly extended thin shoe side extensions which are so shaped that the inner wheels of empty mine cars moving over double vtracks readily pass over them.

Another object is to provide a drill jumbo having Patented June 27, 1961 ICC wheels for easy movement along the outside rails of a double track system.

A `further object is to provide a single to double track switch which may be readily advanced as a unit in the tunnel periodically as the tunnel face is pushed ahead.

vFurther objects and advantages will appear :from the following description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C comprise the side elevation view of tunneling means constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C comprise a plan view of the tunneling means shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken on line 3--3 on FIG. 2C looking forward toward the face of the tunnel of the tunneling means shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevation view of tunneling means with a reversible transverse conveyor embodiment for mine car loading.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the tunneling means embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5 of the tunneling means embodiment of FIG. 4.

In my improved tunneling means and system for the loading and disposition of muck in wide tunnels using rail haulage I use a single track 10 for mine cars 12 which is connected by switching means to spaced parallel tracks 14 as the conveyor means 16 mine car loading head l18 is approached. Double tracks 14 are multipurpose in that, in addition to accommodating portions of trips of cars 12, the outer rails 20 form a wide gauge track for wheels 22 of supports 24 for rock drill 26 mounting self propelled jumbo 28 for movement of jumbo 28 to the tunnel face for drilling a round of blast holes and then away to a parking place for proper spacing from the tunnel face when the face is blasted and during the loading cycle. Inner rails 30 of double tracks 14 form a narrower gauge track 32. Although rock or muck loader 36 is shown to be supported by rail guided means 34 on track 32, in other embodiments loader 36 may be supported directly on the tunnel door and moved by tread means. In addition, rails 30 of track 32 also provide support for sectionalized conveyor elements 38, 40 and tail conveyor mine car loading means 42 which readily conform to curves in the tunnel.

The switching section -44 from the single track 10 to double tracks 14 could be constructed so that it may be moved as a unit periodically as the tunnel face and loading equipment are advanced. The double tracks 14 could be left long enough to accommodate a trip of mine cars 112 for loading on one side without interfering with the operation of the switch section 4,4, in which case the switch section 44 would not be located close to the conveyor mine car loading head 18, as shown, but would beat least as far from the conveyor mine car loading head 18 as there is room on track 20 for a trip of empty mine cars 12 between the face of the tunnel and conveyor mine car loading head y18. Outer rails 20 ot double tracks 14 are extended outward from the face of the tunnel beyond the switch section 44 to provide a parking place for the jumbo 28 during the muck loading cycle, however, if desired, jumbo 28 may be returned ahead of empty mine cars 12 in order todrill the tunnel face for lthe next face blast as the muck loading cycle is being completed. The jumbo arch is large enough to clear loader 36, sectional conveyors 38, 40 and tail conveyor 42, and the mine cars 12 and mine car locomotive 46 when they are on single track 10.

Sectional conveyors 38, 40 and tail conveyor mine length frame support members 48 which are supported on the inner rails 30 of double tracks 14 by outwardly extended thin integral shoe pad side projections 50. Inner rails 30 form a track 32 of suicient gauge to provide room between cars 12 on parallel tracks 14 for support members 48 of sectional conveyors '38, 4u and`conveyor means 42. Thin supporting shoe pads S areso shaped that wheels 52 of empty A-mine cars 12 may easily pass thereover. Pads 50 provide for sliding of conveyor sec tions 3S, 40| and tail conveyor head mine car loading means 42 along rails 30 for positioning thereof and, if necessary, movement of conveyor elementsV away from the tunnel face alo-ng rails 30 from the tunnel face to be blasted.

Tail conveyor mine car loading means 42 is pivotally supported by pivot means 54 at the tunnel face end and by roller means 56 on an arcuate track-58 integral with another support member 48 toward the discharge head 18. Tail conveyor means 42 is pivotalabout pivot means 54 and along track 5S so that discharge head 18 is above mine cars 12 on one track 14 to a posi-tion with discharge head 18 above mine cars 12 on the other track 14. Trips of empty mine cars are backed up on parallel tracks 14 by mine car engine 46 and 'then proh gressively, as mine cars 12 are loaded, they are pulled forward one by one under discharge head 18 of tail conveyor loading means 42 until they are lall filled. After a trip of empty mine cars has been loaded the tail conveyor means 42 is pivoted for loading the trip mine cars on the parallel track 14.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 4, S and 6, a reversible transverse conveyor 62 is used to carry muck to the mine cars on one track 14 or the other -track 14 from discharge head 18 of a nonpivotally mounted conveyor loading means 42. Reversible transverse conveyor 621 -is supported with the muck carrying surface at a slant to minimize muck bounce as shown in FIG. 4 by support means 64 which also has thin integral shoe pad side projections 50 which extend outwardly to rest on rails 30 of track 32. This provides for practically uninterrupted loading of empty mine cars 12 during a loading cycle.

At the beginning of the loading cycle a trip of empty mine cars 12 is placed on each of the double tracks 14 and loading is commenced on the outbye mine car 12 of one trip. After this car is loaded, the reversible transverse conveyor 62 is reversed and muck spills into the mine car 12 on the opposite track 14 until the next empty mine car 12 is pulled in place of the other load on the other track 14, at which time the reversible transverse conveyor `62, is again reversed and the cycle repeated.

I have herein provided an improved tunneling means and system for the loading and disposition of muck lin wide tunnels using rail haulage. I have provided a track system ywhich has a switch from a single track to a double track for empty car switching, spotting and loading to and from the single track for loaded car removal and empty car return. I also provide double track spacing which provides for room between side by side cars for sectional conveyors. Multiple use of the double tracks is provided wherein outwardly extended thin shoe pad side extensions from the `sectional conveyor supports rest on the inner rails of the double tracks and the drill mounted jumbo is mounted by wheels for movement on the oufter rails of the double track system. It is fur-ther provided that the outwardly extended this shoe pad side extensions of the conveyor supports which rest on lthe inner rails are shaped for easy passage of empty mine car wheels thereover. I also provide a cross conveyor means for reverse loading from mine cars on one of the double tracks to mine cars on the other of the double tracks. In addition, I also provide for aprefabricated double to single track switch which may bereadily advanced as a unit periodically as desired as the tunnel face is pushed ahead. While I have shown and described certain-embodimen '4 of my invention, various changes and modications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination, in a tunneling apparatus, four parallel rails there Ibeing two outside rails and two inner rails laid von :the tunnel floor and extending perpendicular to the tunnel face, a plurality of vmine cars having track engaging means for supporting and moving said mine cars over -said rails, at least one of said mine cars supported for movement'along one of said outside rails and said adjacent inner rail, while the others of said mine cars are supported forv movement along the other of said outside and said respective adjacent inner rails, a conveyor mechanism supported by and traveling along the two inner rails, and said conveyor mechanism havingshoes slidingly engaging said inner rails, said shoes being relatively thin and providing outwardly disposed, upper, engaging surfaces so that said track engaging means of said mine carsI may run over the shoesurfaces as they travel along their yrespectiveY rails, ,the conveyor mechanism-skidding longitudinally along said inner rails as it is moved toward and from the tunnel tace.

2. In a tunneling apparatus for removing muck from the tunnel face comprising, a single track to double track system,`switch means connecting said single track to said double tracks, said double tracks extending from the region of the tunnel face to said switch means and said single track running outward in the tunnel from said switch means, rail Wheel supported mine cars positioned on`sad single track for movementto said double tracks, said single and'said double tracks lbeing of the same gauge, said double tracks uniformly spaced one from the other with the kadjacent inner rails forming a narrow gauge track and with the outer rails of the double tracks forming a. wide gauge track, muck conveying means supported yby and guided for movement along said adjacent inner rails of said double trackway, and said muck conveying means has support means engaging said inner rails for the unrestricted passage ofmine cars over said support means as theyV travel along the double tracks at the sides of :said muck conveying means while the supported relation of the latter on the adjacent inner rails of the double tracks remain undisturbed.

3. In the tunneling means as deined in claim 2 wherein saidsupport means for said muck conveying means comprises outwardly extended thin shoe pad extensions which rest on and are slidable along the respective rails of said narrow gauge track.

4. In the tunneling means as defined in claim 3 Wherein said pad extensions are shaped for easy movement thereover by said mine car rail wheels as said mine cars travel over said double tracks.

5. A tunneling apparatus for muck removal comprising a pair of double tracks having four rails uniformly spaced with the inner rails forming a narrow gauge track, loading means supported on said inner railsby guide means, said guide means having guide surfaces in substantial continuous contact with said inner rails mine cars supported on said double tracks respectively by movable means, said movable means of said mine cars movable over said guide surfaces onto said inner rails as the mine cars traverse past said loading means in either direction of travel of said mine cars.

6. A tunneling apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said loading means has a conveyor mechanism for discharging material into said mine cars disposed on either side of said loader.

7. A tunneling apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein a drill jumbo With rail engaging means is mounted for movement along the outer track rails.

8. A tunneling means for muck removal comprising three rails, said rails consisting of two outside rails and one intermediate rail, said intermediate rail being equidistant from each of said outside rails, a loader having rail engaging means for moving over one of said outside rails and said intermediate rail, said rail engaging means for said intermediate rail being a thin shoe pad, mine cars having rail engaging means for moving over the other of said outside rails and said intermediate rail wherein said intermediate rail engaging means of said mine cars travel over said intermediate rail engaging means of said loader.

9. In a tunneling means using mine car rail haulage for muck removal, a single to double track system, switch means from said single to said double tracks, said double tracks extending from the region of the tunnel face to said switch means and said single track running outward in the tunnel from said switch means, rail wheel supported mine cars positioned on said single track for movement to said double tracks, said single and said double tracks being of the same gauge, said double tracks uniformly spaced one from the other with the adjacent inner rails forming a narrow gauge track and with the outer rails of the double tracks forming a Wide gauge track, muck conveying means supported by and guided for movement along said adjacent inner rails of said double trackway and spacing between said double tracks which provides room between side by side mine cars for said muck conveying means, a drill mounting jumbo having track engaging wheel support means, wide gauge track means located outwardly of said switch means and connected to said first mentioned wide gauge track for supporting said drill mounting pumbo, and said wheel support means and drill jumbo movable along the outer rails of said double track system to the tunnel face for drilling rounds of blast holes and movable away from said tunnel face for parking remote from the tunnel face during blasting.

10. In a tunneling means using mine car rail haulage for muck removal, a single to double track system, switch means from said single to said double tracks, said double tracks extending from the region of the tunnel face to said switch means and said single track running outward in the tunnel from said switch means, rail wheel supported mine cars positioned on said single track for movement to said double tracks, said single and said double tracks being of the same gauge, said double tracks uniformly spaced one from the other with the adjacent inner rails forming a narrow `gauge track and with the outer rails of the double tracks forming a wide gauge track, muck conveying means supported by and guided for movement along said adjacent inner rails of said double trackway and spacing between said double tracks which provides room between side by side mine cars for said muck conveying means, a drill mounting jumbo having track engaging wheel support means, wide gauge track means located outwardly of said switch means and connected to said first mentioned wide gauge track for supporting said drill mounting jumbo, said wheel suph port means and drill jumbo movable along the outer rails of said double track system to the tunnel face for drilling rounds of blast holes and movable away from said tunnel face for parking remote from the tunnel face during blasting, said rail wheel supported jumbo having a drill mounting arch from the portion of said rail engaging wheel support means at one side of said wide gauge track to the portion of said rail engaging support means at the other side of said wide gauge track, and said arch having an open center to clear said muck conveying means and said mine cars when the mine cars are on said single track as the drill jumbo is moved along said wide gauge track and the said wide gauge track extensions.

11. In a double track rail haulage and rail car loading system, double two rail tracks along which mine cars may be supported and travel, said tracks being uniformly spaced with the adjacent inner rails forming a narrow gauge track, rail car loading means supported by and movable along said narrow gauge track for loading the mine cars as they are supported on said double tracks, rail cars wheel supported and movable along said double tracks, and wherein said rail car loading means is supported by outwardly extended thin shoe pad side extensions which rest on and are slidable along the rails of said narrow gauge track, said rail car wheels moving over said outwardly extended thin shoe pad side extensions as the mine cars travel along the trackway.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,207,237 Stuart Dec. 5, 1916 1,481,875 Morgan Ian. 29, 1924 1,965,000 Porter `Tuly 3, 1934 2,384,385 Madeira Sept. 4, 1945 2,655,360 Danielsson Oct. 13, 1953 2,660,034 Kemper Nov. 24, 1953 2,832,482 Russell Apr. 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 539,696 Germany Dec. 3, 193'1 690,367 Germany Apr. 24, 1940 882,083 Germany July 6, 1953 

